Ch 18: Ne Me Mori Facias
She walked the streets of Tokyo, clinging the Masamune sword. The rain poured down on her, impeding her progress. Where she any other person, or this any other mission, she may have given up long ago. But she needed to do this, for them. For Uriko Ohgami-Nonomura, on this day, failure was not an option.
It had been two hours since Kenji came home, battered and bruised. He could barely stand, and barely walk. He told them how Kane had transformed, and how he had killed Scott Darkholm. Sarah grabbed the blade that belonged to him, and was prepared to end his suffering, by ending his life. Kenji grabbed her neck, pinching a nerve and rendering her unconscious. He said he would do the deed. But she couldn't let him do that. She did the same to him, and walked off with the blade. She was the one who brought Kane into their lives, and if she needed to, she would be the one to take him out.
Uriko looked up at the mountain that one once downtown Tokyo. Sarah told them this would happen, that the demon would need to incubate in order to become whole. Somewhere in there, in that mass of feather and power, was Kane Darkholm. She grasped the sword tighter, and ran towards it.
She approached the cocoon with extreme caution. It seemed to emanate a mysterious light. Its very presence disturbed Uriko, but it was too late to have second thoughts. She held the sword firm, and in one quick stroke tore open a hole in the fabric. She stepped through, and the entrance sealed behind her.
"Ne me mori facias"
Something made a chill run down her spine, despite the warmth and humidity. She let out a heavy sigh, and walked forward, She had barely made a few paces when several creatures barred her path. There features her vaguely human, but twisted and contorted, as if thief faces had been stretched onto bodies that where far too large. She stood her ground, her hand resting on the hilt of the sword. One of the creatures pounced, and Uriko sprang into action. She made three fast slashes, and three creatures fell to the floor. She moved so fast none of them could see her, as she took out the last of them.
"I'll have to thank Kenji for those Iaido lessons..." she said walking away.
"Ne me mori facias"
The path was a long and winding one, she dared not to touch the walls. She didn't know what was in them. She grew fearful; she almost wished she had let Kenji go.
"No," she thought, "I can't think like that. I have to be strong, not just for Kane, but for Kenji and Sarah too."
Uriko walked into another room, a wide-open one housing several more creatures. She disposed of them easily enough, but a larger one took their place. She swiftly leapt out of the way as one of them struck the ground with a blow that would have surely killed her. She rested her hand on the blade once more, and ran at the creature.
"Here goes nothing." She thought as she ran by it. She came to a stop behind it, and looked over her shoulder as it split in two, and fell. "Man, this sword is awesome."
"Ne me mori facias"
I felt like hours had passed. Each hallway the same as the last, each room the same as the previous. Until one, it was different. The red haze was gone, and she could clearly hear the chanting that had begun with her entrance.
"Ne me mori facias"
She recognized it, somehow. But she couldn't remember what it meant. All around her images of her loved one swirled around her. Long, Gado, Mitsuko, Alice, Sarah, Kenji, they all were chanting. Then, they were gone, and one stood before her. Kane...
"Ne me mori facias"
"What do you mean?" she asked in desperation. The aspiration disappeared, leaving her alone. "Oh, why didn't I stay awake in Latin class?" she began to think.
She walked on, until she came upon another doorway. The red haze returned, and she walked forward, but paused when she saw it.
"Ne me mori facias"
It hung as if it were crucified against the wall. It's skin stretched out far beyond what it was meant to hold. It's eyes screamed in agony, yet it's lips remained silent. Yet somewhere in it's contorted visage, in it's agonized appearance, Uriko saw a glimmer of recognition in its eyes. She drew the sword, and approached.
"Kane? My God, Kane, what's happened to you?" she said. It took all the strength she had to keep back the twisting knot in the pit of her stomach. Waves of vomit tried to burst from her mouth, but she kept them all in. So naturally, she had no strength to keep back the ocean of tears for her friend.
"Ne me mori facias"
She searched her mind for the meaning of his words. "Mori... mori...that means die... Do not let me die? Is that it Kane, you don't want to die?"
Uriko walked over and placed a hand on the immobile Kane's check. Despite it's wretched appearance, it felt nearly the same as her dear friend. She cried, as she realized what it all meant.
"You're still in there, aren't you? You're fighting it. But you need our help." She said.
"Urrrrriiiiikoooooooo" it whispered. Uriko sheathed the sword, and walked away.
"I can't do it," she admitted. "He's still my friend, no matter what he's become." She turned back, and to the doorway. She looked back one last time.
"We'll save you, I promise."
She walked through the corridors, but it seemed shorter this time, there was no one there to bar her path. She realized their purpose. Kane wanted to shield her from what he had become. She almost wished they succeeded. She made it to the outer membrane, sliced it open, and walked out. Sarah and Kenji were waiting for her. She laid the sword at their feet.
"I couldn't do it. He's still in there."
"Then I will," Kenji said picking up the blade.
"Didn't you hear me?!" Uriko exclaimed. "Kane's still alive in there!"
"Then what do you suggest?" he asked coldly.
"There has to be a way to save him." Sarah answered. "I don't care what it takes, but I'll find a way.
As she finished her thought, a shadowy figure jumped from the shadows. The trio looked behind them in shock.
"You cannot find the answer within, without knowing the question without. And both lie with me," it said. Now, everyone around had to confront another fact, one perhaps even more shocking than Kane's appearance.
Scott Darkholm is alive.
She walked the streets of Tokyo, clinging the Masamune sword. The rain poured down on her, impeding her progress. Where she any other person, or this any other mission, she may have given up long ago. But she needed to do this, for them. For Uriko Ohgami-Nonomura, on this day, failure was not an option.
It had been two hours since Kenji came home, battered and bruised. He could barely stand, and barely walk. He told them how Kane had transformed, and how he had killed Scott Darkholm. Sarah grabbed the blade that belonged to him, and was prepared to end his suffering, by ending his life. Kenji grabbed her neck, pinching a nerve and rendering her unconscious. He said he would do the deed. But she couldn't let him do that. She did the same to him, and walked off with the blade. She was the one who brought Kane into their lives, and if she needed to, she would be the one to take him out.
Uriko looked up at the mountain that one once downtown Tokyo. Sarah told them this would happen, that the demon would need to incubate in order to become whole. Somewhere in there, in that mass of feather and power, was Kane Darkholm. She grasped the sword tighter, and ran towards it.
She approached the cocoon with extreme caution. It seemed to emanate a mysterious light. Its very presence disturbed Uriko, but it was too late to have second thoughts. She held the sword firm, and in one quick stroke tore open a hole in the fabric. She stepped through, and the entrance sealed behind her.
"Ne me mori facias"
Something made a chill run down her spine, despite the warmth and humidity. She let out a heavy sigh, and walked forward, She had barely made a few paces when several creatures barred her path. There features her vaguely human, but twisted and contorted, as if thief faces had been stretched onto bodies that where far too large. She stood her ground, her hand resting on the hilt of the sword. One of the creatures pounced, and Uriko sprang into action. She made three fast slashes, and three creatures fell to the floor. She moved so fast none of them could see her, as she took out the last of them.
"I'll have to thank Kenji for those Iaido lessons..." she said walking away.
"Ne me mori facias"
The path was a long and winding one, she dared not to touch the walls. She didn't know what was in them. She grew fearful; she almost wished she had let Kenji go.
"No," she thought, "I can't think like that. I have to be strong, not just for Kane, but for Kenji and Sarah too."
Uriko walked into another room, a wide-open one housing several more creatures. She disposed of them easily enough, but a larger one took their place. She swiftly leapt out of the way as one of them struck the ground with a blow that would have surely killed her. She rested her hand on the blade once more, and ran at the creature.
"Here goes nothing." She thought as she ran by it. She came to a stop behind it, and looked over her shoulder as it split in two, and fell. "Man, this sword is awesome."
"Ne me mori facias"
I felt like hours had passed. Each hallway the same as the last, each room the same as the previous. Until one, it was different. The red haze was gone, and she could clearly hear the chanting that had begun with her entrance.
"Ne me mori facias"
She recognized it, somehow. But she couldn't remember what it meant. All around her images of her loved one swirled around her. Long, Gado, Mitsuko, Alice, Sarah, Kenji, they all were chanting. Then, they were gone, and one stood before her. Kane...
"Ne me mori facias"
"What do you mean?" she asked in desperation. The aspiration disappeared, leaving her alone. "Oh, why didn't I stay awake in Latin class?" she began to think.
She walked on, until she came upon another doorway. The red haze returned, and she walked forward, but paused when she saw it.
"Ne me mori facias"
It hung as if it were crucified against the wall. It's skin stretched out far beyond what it was meant to hold. It's eyes screamed in agony, yet it's lips remained silent. Yet somewhere in it's contorted visage, in it's agonized appearance, Uriko saw a glimmer of recognition in its eyes. She drew the sword, and approached.
"Kane? My God, Kane, what's happened to you?" she said. It took all the strength she had to keep back the twisting knot in the pit of her stomach. Waves of vomit tried to burst from her mouth, but she kept them all in. So naturally, she had no strength to keep back the ocean of tears for her friend.
"Ne me mori facias"
She searched her mind for the meaning of his words. "Mori... mori...that means die... Do not let me die? Is that it Kane, you don't want to die?"
Uriko walked over and placed a hand on the immobile Kane's check. Despite it's wretched appearance, it felt nearly the same as her dear friend. She cried, as she realized what it all meant.
"You're still in there, aren't you? You're fighting it. But you need our help." She said.
"Urrrrriiiiikoooooooo" it whispered. Uriko sheathed the sword, and walked away.
"I can't do it," she admitted. "He's still my friend, no matter what he's become." She turned back, and to the doorway. She looked back one last time.
"We'll save you, I promise."
She walked through the corridors, but it seemed shorter this time, there was no one there to bar her path. She realized their purpose. Kane wanted to shield her from what he had become. She almost wished they succeeded. She made it to the outer membrane, sliced it open, and walked out. Sarah and Kenji were waiting for her. She laid the sword at their feet.
"I couldn't do it. He's still in there."
"Then I will," Kenji said picking up the blade.
"Didn't you hear me?!" Uriko exclaimed. "Kane's still alive in there!"
"Then what do you suggest?" he asked coldly.
"There has to be a way to save him." Sarah answered. "I don't care what it takes, but I'll find a way.
As she finished her thought, a shadowy figure jumped from the shadows. The trio looked behind them in shock.
"You cannot find the answer within, without knowing the question without. And both lie with me," it said. Now, everyone around had to confront another fact, one perhaps even more shocking than Kane's appearance.
Scott Darkholm is alive.